About Olivia

Olivia Diaz is an elementary school teacher and state legislator.

Her family came from Durango, Mexico and settled in the bright, desert lights of Las Vegas, Nevada. The second daughter of Mexican-American citizens, her father worked for 35 years as a casino porter to support his wife and six children. Olivia attributes most of her success in life to the strong moral values and work ethic her parents instilled in her at an early age.

A native Nevadan, Olivia attended inner city schools and went on to graduate from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and a minor in communications. While working on her bachelor's degree, Olivia served as an AmeriCorps volunteer and was assigned to tutor at-risk students.

Shortly after graduating from UNLV, she married her husband of 11 years and inherited two wonderfully talented step-sons. In 2004, Olivia obtained her Masters in Education from Nova Southeastern University.

She credits her enthusiasm for education to teachers who pushed her when she was young. To this day, Olivia works to continue the legacy of those teachers who meant so much to her by setting high expectations for her students on a daily basis as well as instilling a work ethic in each of them, and encouraging them to always do their best.

In February 2011, Olivia served her first term as a Nevada State Assemblywoman. During her first legislative session in Carson City, she not only became a mother to her son, Xavier Carson but also fought hard for job creation, improvements to education, and protections for Nevada's most vulnerable citizens-- our elderly and our children.

Olivia knows that the needs of a school reflect the needs of the community. “I’ve learned about the many issues parents and students face in my district first-hand by living here for more than 25 years and being a classroom teacher. Now I want to expand my efforts to the district level and help the community that helped raise me. I feel that it is my turn to look out for and take care of my neighbors during these trying times.”